Integrated combat systems reshape hulls and crews

Combining ASW and air defence in one hull can make a case for standardizing a smaller fleet around a single design. It also produces a particularly expensive ship. Quiet machinery and extensive sonar processing take space before powerful radars and another set of computers are added. Electronic warfare, weapons, and their electrical demands add further equipment and volume. This integration also changes the crew: IT technicians and marine engineers become two of its largest specialist groups.